pkancel

Ned, hate to be the bad news friend, but our W212 with HK has 20k miles on it and I am still complaining. It might not be so bad but ever time I get back in the MB after driving our 550i with HK, I remember its really lacking.

I am considering doing the same as a few have mentioned. I have some 5 year old subs and amps which I might install here to boost sound. As you said, you shouldnt have to increase the volume to hear the bass. In the 550i, again its amazing. Better yet, before the 550i, we had a 06 750Li with HK and that car sounded like you were sitting in a $500,000 home theatre. Truly amazing sound at all levels. Very crisp, perfect bass and amazing surround.

ngerstman

I'm sorry to hear that, although it is what I was expecting. Although the sound has gotten meaningfully better up to my current 700 miles on the car, I did fear that the trajectory was not going to get me where I want to be. Aside from 100hz and down, which I realize means a lot, the sound is actually pretty good. Well balanced, open sound, pretty crisp, just not much impact. I guess those who focus on talk radio will be satisfied, those who want to rock and roll, less so. Regards. Ned.

g2k

yes not to happy to hear that it stays the the same i have 1100 miles on mine and was hoping that i wasnt use to it yet and thats why the bass was so weak but i guess not,i think im gonna have to add my own sub

ngerstman

I know from all kinds of after market stereo experience that car acoustics can be very tricky to get just right. But I do know that I have heard some great sounding BMW sound systems. Being a loyal Mercedes customer it really irks me that they haven't seemed to go the extra mile on this issue. It seems to me that the H-K stereo should be their standard stereo and the premium should go to the next level. They clearly have not put enough effort into the subwoofer system. Forcing some people to do after market work is a joke and one never likes to do surgery on a new car. They never seem to go back together the same way they came apart. Regards. Ned.

reckrab

Ned don't lose sight of the fact that for every audiophile like you there are probably 1000 others who think the sound quality is just fine. They are the ones who are listening to talk AM or some such signal source that won't deliver the quality of music you desire to begin with. Mercedes is not alone in it's failure to produce a sound system to satisfy your decerning taste. Read back what people are talking about adding, figure out how much that costs, and then add that to the sticker price of the car and you will have your answer right there.

ngerstman

Doing it after market will cost many times more what it would cost to do right in the first place. I totally agree with you that more people find the stereo great than those that find fault. That is why they haven't gone the extra mile. A bad reason IMO. Regards. Ned.

K-A

Damn, you guys are nuts, lol. My whole life revolves around music.... LOUD music, and I think the system in this car is great. Then again, when I'm in my car, I don't blare it (I got all that out with my 15" earth shaking subs back in the day).

I think it's a very dynamic, and clean sounding system, gives a good surround-sound vibe, and is noticeably more high quality than my old W211's. It might not be the best on the market, but I guess it just does it enough for me.

vselva

I agree. We know the MSRP of 2010 E is less than 2009 E. MB must have done a lot of cost cutting in this W212, and this might be one of those too.There are threads about cheap plastics were used for door locks, switches, interior and etc. But I am happy with my W212 sound and interior. Of course it doesn't compare to my home HK tuner with PolkAudio speakers & sub.

petee1997

I don't agree. This may not be an audiophile's perfect system but with 625 watts of power and 11 or 12 speakers, it is the best that MB has ever offered with the exception of the optional sound in the SLS. I'm with the masses. This system is superior to the Bose system that was in my BMW and better than the Bose in my new 911. This sound system was not a cost cutting measure, it was an upgrade.

ngerstman

I never considered Bose to be a high end system. I had a Bose stereo in my 2000 e320 and while it had it's flaws, it was usually pleasant sounding. Bose systems tend to miss the frequency extremes and sound very bloomy in the midrange. They tend to go for a spacious sound. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that the stereo is terrible and it is opening up as I put more miles on the car. I am not a head banger when it comes to music or sound systems. The Mercedes stereo does have a "high end" kind of sound to it as far as transparency which implies good quality electronics and speaker drivers. Most car stereos never get to there and you can hear the"veiling" of the music. I am still hoping it reaches the point where I say "this is more than good enough". We will see. They also could have given us more control over the sound system, like eq or a subwoofer level. Although my guess is the sub probably couldn't take much boost. And am I missions something or is there no read out anywhere for a volume setting? Never seen that omission in a premium system. Regards. Ned.

BenzE350

$15K for speaker cables!

I paid my way through college by working at high-end audio stores in the 70's. My only comment is that if you are happy with the money spent - that's all the matters.

The simple fact is that you will get significantly better sound by investing in the acoustics of your room versus exotic cables. Double blind tests.

In regards to speaker break-in several hours is all that is needed to loosen up the drivers. No break-in is required for electronics. Your car speakers are much more likey to be influenced by enviromental factors like low termperture and high humidity.

Happy motoring.

ngerstman

No question that room acoustics can overwhelm the more nuanced issues with sound. We can agree to disagree about whether electronics need break-in and how long speaker drivers require. Regards. Ned.

ngerstman

Am I missing a place where there is a volume level readout? Thanks. Ned.

vselva

It was missing in my 2002 C also. I guess MB left us with our natural hearing to adjust volume.